Introduction

In the early 1900''s, America was in danger of losing many of its
wildlife species. Destruction and loss of habitat,
industrialization and overexploitation of certain animals resulted
in a major decline of many species including the white-tailed deer
and eastern wild turkey. Facing this threat, hunters, the
sport hunting industry and other conservationists joined together
in supporting legislation to develop the Wildlife Restoration
Program of 1937. This legislation is often referred to as the
Pittman-Robertson Act.

Hunting and target shooting purchases have supported wildlife
conservation for over half a century. The Wildlife Restoration
Program is funded with money received from taxes on the sale of
sporting guns and ammunition. In the 1970''s, tax receipts from
the sale of handguns and archery equipment were added to the
Program fund. As a result, over four billion dollars have been
generated for wildlife conservation.

More than 45 million acres of land funded by the Wildlife
Restoration Program are maintained for wildlife across the
country. The Pittman Robertson Act funds essential research by
more than 25,000 professional wildlife biologists nationwide. The
program also supports the training of more than 750,000 people
annually in firearms and archery safety. In addition, hundreds
of public shooting ranges have been built with Program
dollars. Hunters and shooters have been investing in the
future of America''s wildlife since 1937.

Many hunters (particularly "baby-boomers") grew up hunting
rabbits, squirrels and quail. There were few big game hunting
opportunities available during the 1950''s - 1970''s. In the
1970''s, deer herds were small, but growing, and turkey populations
didn''t increase significantly until the 1980''s. Thus small game
species provided most of the hunting opportunity.

As the deer and turkey populations grew, small game populations
declined. Hunting leases became more popular and interest in small
game hunting declined. Declining populations of quail and
rabbits as a result of habitat loss coupled with reduced access for
hunting small game, resulted in a tremendous decline of quail and
rabbit hunters. Dove hunting has continued to remain popular
during this period. Squirrel hunting has declined but not as
much as quail or rabbit hunting.

Whether you enjoy hunting quail with a fine English setter,
treeing a squirrel with a Jack Russell terrier or listening to a
pack of beagles trail a rabbit, small game hunting is
special. For most of us, it means quality time spent with our
family or friends. Hunting is not just recreation. Research has
indicated that there is something much deeper. Hunting is an
important social and psychological activity for hunters (Wildlife
and the American Mind, 1998).

Aldo Leopold stated in his 1949 essay, "Goose Music "that "It is
not merely an acquired taste: the instinct that finds delight in
the sight and pursuit of game is bred into the very fiber of the
race. Golf is sophisticated exercise, but the love of hunting
is almost a psychological characteristic. A man may not care
for golf and still be human. But the man who does not like to
see, hunt, photograph, or otherwise outwit birds or animals is
hardly normal. He is supercivilized, and I for one do not know
how to deal with him. We are dealing therefore with some thing
that lies very deep."

The Wildlife Restoration success stories for big game, including
white-tailed deer, wild turkey, Rocky Mountain elk and pronghorn
antelope, have been outstanding. However, some small game species
such as rabbits and particularly quail have experienced dramatic
population declines during the past 40 years. The declines are
primarily the result of habitat loss.

The following chapters on small game species discuss the
biology, habitats and management needed to assist interested
landowners and managers in creating good small game habitat on the
properties they manage.